As we all get geared up for the final phase of the season my excitement is starting to boil over, writes Albion blogger Jarrod Hill.
I have given up looking at fixtures, possible outcomes and making any sort of prediction now seems futile.
Whatever the rest of the season holds one thing is clear; Mowbray has stuck rigidly to his football principles.
The calls for a holding midfielder or to adopt containment tactics have fallen on deaf ears, all season, every game has been to attack the opposition and score the goals to win games.
It has certainly been entertaining, but we are now nervously waiting to see if this approach will deliver any rewards.
Personally I have no complaints, I cannot remember enjoying a season quite as much as this one and whether we achieve promotion or win the FA Cup (still feels strange even typing it) feel committed to supporting Mowbray’s football ideology.
Most teams in the Championship who achieve promotion do so using the blueprint we ourselves have used twice in recent years, a strong physical squad who out battle teams and often win games by the odd goal.
I must make it clear I have no problem with this approach, managers are paid to get results and achieve their goals by whatever means deemed necessary.
Mowbray on the other hand has decided to play a brand of football based on technically gifted players and the focus firmly placed on scoring goals and entertaining fans.
He has received plaudits from just about everybody this season (including me) and rightly so.
Mowbray believes that by playing this style of football if we can achieve promotion it will make adapting to life in the Premiership easier, some would argue it represents a gamble.
I would argue that the fun I have had in supporting my beloved Baggies this season far outweighs any support I would have for playing boring bland football and achieving promotion.
Colchester visit us tomorrow and they must be hurting from last week’s mauling at the hands of Norwich.
They look certainties for relegation but if this league has taught us anything this season it is that any team on any given day can beat anybody else.
Three points is an absolute must, and if we can score early and settle the nerves of the crowd we can take advantage of a side low on confidence.
I hope everybody has managed to get their tickets for Wembley, the system adopted by the club this time round (listen to me it’s like we get to go every season) has had its critics, but in my opinion represents the fairest practice to ensure regular fans definitely get tickets.
I have organised a minibus to take friends and family to the game and I would love to hear what everybody else has planned for the day?
I will be in the Vine tomorrow before the game as usual and if anyone (Happy Baggie, wbaforever, tonywba, the real bully, Cyril Randle, Worcester baggie, terrywalsallbaggie, baggie boy, or any of the other regular bloggers, sorry if I missed anyone) want to say hello you are more than welcome.
Baggiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeesssssssssss
Albion fans have your say below
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41 Comments
Good, well balanced blog Jarrod. There’s no doubt you’ve played the best quality football in the Championship this season. Bit of a wobble of late but I’m sure TM will sort your boys out but as you say, you can’t really afford to waste too many more points in the league - is that becuase you’ve forgotten how to be physical and grind that result out ? I think there has to be a combination of both in this league.
I look forward to our impending meeting and naturally hope we can put one over on you for a chamge !!
As for the Cup I wish you well and I hope all other West Midland fans (regardless of the colour of the shirt)do so as well.
Keep these blogs coming !
I agree, as much as i wan’t us to get promoted this has been a very enjoyable season. We may go up, we may win the cup or we may win nothing. But i take great pleasure in supporting a team that plays the way we do. Granted it occasionly backfires but hey how thats football.
Roll on next saturday my first cup semi final can not wait.
Another well spoken Blog Jarrod also thanks for the invite to the Vine, but I will have to turn down due to having a 9 year old with me.
I will however be in the Smethwick End having a bottle of beer about 2.30ish up by the segregation gate (home/away supporters).
Onto West Brom, 3 points is so important tomorrow, although we have been saying that now for weeks, but as the games become fewer the importance definetly grows and with this being on paper the so called “easiest” fixture we have, it is a MUST win.
I agree TM has revoluntionalised the way us supporters watch our football, and for the enjoyment status I’m bloomin loving it and long may it continue (hopefully in the top tier).
Saturday morning I will be purchasing my Train tickets to go from Smethwick Galton Bridge to Wembley I believe Via London Marlybone, looking forward to the convoy of Baggies taking over the capital.
Up the Baggies.
Jarrod.
Good to see that you seem to have conquered some of the demons you’ve had of late and enjoying the ride. There’s an old saying, sometimes you get what you want, sometimes you get what you deserve, but mostly you get what you get. I think most clear thinking Baggies will settle for that this season. Don’t get me wrong, I desperately want promotion and a Cup final would be almost unbelievable but if we don’t manage either we’ll be like 19 other clubs except that we’ve been royally entertained along the way, unlike 19 other clubs and after all that’s what the game’s supposed to be about.
2 Filton Wolf.
Your posting has cheered me up no end. Like some other regulars on here, I’ve been writing less and less of late. Reading your piece made me think NO. This is a very enjoyable site, at times thought provoking, hilarious and even heart warming. Why should we let the vitriol merchants and the purveyors of childish abuse drive us away. Let’s keep the banter, keep the jokes, keep the discussion but ignore the puerile outpourings of the cerebrally challenged from either side of the fence. I won’t name the good guys, you know who you are or the bad, it will only bring forth a torrent of abuse.
It has been a great season and if we do miss out on Cup and the Prem , well I will still have had a great time with TM’s brand of football.
Good to see some clear thinking and intelligent comment. For now…..
Good Morning all and a great blog.
This season has been a breath of fresh air and its the best football and most entertaing football since the Ozzie Ardiles days….. but i would be gutted if we didnt go up as i feel that we will never have a better chance and i actually feel that we ”as a football club” are of Premiership standard!!
Anyway i cant wait for next saturday, me and my Bro will be getting the 6.12am train from Birmingham Snow Hill to Wembley and shoud get there for about 8.40am, it will then be straight in the nearest pub to have a good few beers before we go and sing our heads off!!
IF YOUR ALL GOING TO WEMBLEY CLAP YOU YA HANDS!!!!!
At last ! - calmness, serenity and reasonableness has broken out across the Black Country. I look forward to a spot of spiffing banter with our old chums from down the road in a couple of weeks time. What a jolly bunch of chaps they are. Hoorah
7 The Hoff.
I’m proud of you. You’ve took the p–s out of me in a good way.
Real Bully - Couldn’t agree more mate !! I haven’t been posting too much of late on either site because of the amount of needless abuse (and no doubt some will come my way for saying so !!) I’m all for good banter and a joke and constructive arguing. I, like you don’t like being called a moron or idiot or whatever just because I don’t agree with what’s been said. Like you say, there are those (on both sides of the fence) who do nothing but pour out their bile on these blogs for what purpose ?
It is unfortunate that those who do want to discuss things in a sensible manner seem to be being pushed away by the pure venom that sometimes appears on these pages.
Morning All.
Great Blog Jarrod.
However this season turns outs I can honestly say I’ve loved every minute of it.Great football to watch , tons of goals and an unpredictability that makes the Championship the most keenly contested league in the country.
If we get promoted great ,if we beat pompey great, but if we don’t do either then is it really such a big loss ?
I pay my money to see entertaining football and we have seen that in abundance this season and we shall see it again next so long as TM is at the helm.
Let’s enjoy the ride.
Wembley - I’m driving - 4 of us in the car.I know a car park next to a tube station that charges £1 for all day parking.Yes that’s correct £1 to park in London !
7. The Hoff Jolly good show old man !! What ho ! Look forward to the jolly banter that is sur to flow between our two endearing sets of fans !!
After living in Spain for five years I decided to move back to sunny Brum, and couldnt have
picked a better time as it was three weeks after TM took over. On the day of him signing a bunch of
Celtic fans came over to me at work and congratulated us on getting him - now its so easy to see why.
One of the best things about been back is having the chance to watch the Baggies, i’ll be in the
Smethwick on Saturday, and up at the crack of dawn next week to make my way to Wembley!!
Proud to be Blue and White!!
After living in Spain for five years I decided to move back to sunny Brum, and couldnt have
picked a better time as it was three weeks after TM took over. On the day of him signing a bunch of
Celtic fans came over to me at work and congratulated us on getting him - now its so easy to see why.
One of the best things about been back is having the chance to watch the Baggies, i’ll be in the
Smethwick on Saturday, and up at the crack of dawn next week to make my way to Wembley!!
Proud to be Blue and White!!!!
I’m absolutley flabbergasted, what a pickle we find ourselves in, West Brom & Wolves fans having reasoned debate. Good Show!!
I think we should promote peace and harmony between Black Country folk….How about amalgamating both clubs?…I think we ought to take the “West Bromwich Albion” from our name and the “Football Club Ltd” from your name….Just think double the fanbase and a training facility at the Molineux…
re 10 superkev - would you like to share the whereabouts of the car park ? We are driving down and have had some useful directions from a villa fan who knows london well. But would be grateful for other options .
Cheers !!!
Nice to hear peace has broken out at last.
I agree with the comments made and have enjoyed the season so far. I think we have to accept that the way we play we will concede the odd goal but it is a pleasure to get to the ground and see the team play. I will be in the Vine tomorrow as usual and at the last cound we had 12 people leaving from Rowley station on Saturday morning bound for Wembley. If we win the semi the final will feel like a home game.
I feel we will win the cup and go up keep the faith fellow Baggies we are almost there.
Sherpa - very drole mate, very drole. You forgot to add though that you could play in Gold & Black as well !!
As much as I enjoy Nathan’s blogs, it’s nice to read Jarrod’s today rather than have to fret any more over the Freddy Eastwood debate. This issue, more than any other, has polarised our fan’s opinions this season, and it epitomises the difference in thought that threatens to divide us all. Anyway, best of luck to the Albion next Saturday, enjoy your day out at Wembley, and here’s hoping for a passionate, exciting and ultimately peaceful derby at the Mol in a few weeks’ time!
jarrod,,,you should go in the supporters club its better,,,the mowbray way..everybody wants my phrase.love it.DOING THE DOUBLE THE MOWBRAY WAY,,,IN STYLE OF COURSE,,,OH YES
jarrod cant make vine tomorra mate has daughter at work till 2 so be pushed for time but next home game maybe, boing boing
16.Phill
Ruislip Tube Station.You can then get the Tube direct to Wembley Park Station on the Metropolitan line.
Glad everybody liked the blog, seems it has helped peace break out between Wolves and Albion, maybe i could be in the running for the Nobel Peace prize!!!
Been to a funeral this morning and it helped me realise there are more important things in life,
loving being an Albion fan, love being a football fan, do not want this season to end, especially as we did not qualify for euro 08.
17, WakeyBaggie.
what times your train from Rowley and is it direct to Wembley?
Hi Super Kev - many thanks!!! Boinging all the way to wembley !!!
Third Fa cup semi - so hopefully 3rd time lucky !!!!!!
Great blog and couldn’t agree more. I don’t care if we don’t get promoted. Yes i want us to win the league and be successful, but i much prefer the championship as a league. I’m pretty certain that if we do get promted we won’t have half as much fun as we have this year!!!
Another point that i have just thought of: If we win the FA Cup and gain promotion, we will be in Europe and trying to stay in the Premiership. This is a very real prospect and could end up being disasterous. Call me pessimistic, but remember what happened to Ipswich when they were in Europe in their second season!!!! We could end up being sidetracked by cup games like so many others (Middlesbrough, Ipswich, Millwall and even Bolton this season!!)).
WORCERSTERBAGGIE.
You get my vote as the “contributor” of the season..your “DOING THE DOUBLE THE MOWBRAY WAY,,,IN STYLE OF COURSE,,,OH YES” phrase is tops at work….It sends SO many Wolves fans into a foaming frenzy it’s priceless..”OH YES!!”
Great Barr Baggie
Yes but what a wonderful problem it would be!!!
Great barr baggie, good point, (europe) that is, but i feel T.M. has already thought this one through, and whilst it may be a distraction, i for one dont believe that we will be in any dog fight for relegation if we go up.I think the experience will be a great leveller, and give the team the sort of confidence that will push us on, no longer the poor relations, but trotting out the tunnel at stamford bridge comparing notes on the next european tie with terry, lampard etc etc.
Great Barr.
I’m accepting your invitation, you’re pessimistic. Talk about glass half empty. Still if you have to worry about something, this sounds pretty good.
nice to see and read the great comments from both sides of the fence. long may it continue great blog, as always. boing boing!
Hi Jarrod.
I think I’ve died and gone to Heaven,
Baggies & Dingles in unison! I think
you missed your vocation,eat your heart
out Ban Ki-moon.
Anyway, we’re four handed & have managed
to secure a parking space at Wembley for
£25.00. By the way, my wife wants to know
if she can take a flask & sandwiches into
Wembley like she does at the Hawthorns,
any ideas?
BOING BOING.
24 Hi Tamworth its 6.59 but we are told that Chiltern are putting on a number of additional trains straight to Wembley. reasonable too me the wife and two kids £36.60 return.
Still a stupid time for a semi final don’t you just love the FA.
Ken,
We took our own food for the playoff final no trouble.
Ken Hawthorn
I am sure the wonderful people at Wembley will allow your wife to take soup and sandwiches in with her as long as they are in her stomach!!! If not they will charge her the equivalent of buying them there, £119.37.
32 KEN, YES SHE CAN,NO SUGAR IN MINE AND CHEESE N PICKLE PLEASE,OH AND A SLICE OF PORK PIE BOING BOING HAVING A PICNIC AT WEMBLEY
It’s big bananas all the way for wembley!!! Let’s all go bananas!!
30 - The Real Bully - I’m not a pessimistic person, merely pointing out what might happen next year. I think that we will still win his league and possibly win the FA Cup. Next year i don’t think we will struggle in the league either, but I just don’t want us to fall into the same trap as alot of clubs in the past.
WakeyBaggie.
Thanks for that.
BOING BOING.
Jarrod if you can get that group of Baggie good guys together I might even try and find the Vine myself.
Just wanna say good luck next wk . but am sorry its buisness as usual on the 15th THE MIGHTY WOLVES ARE GOIN UP.